TWO people have been arrested for possessing a ‘Taser’ in Little Lever.

Police officers attended a disturbance in Third Avenue on Tuesday evening and found the electroshock weapon. 

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Following reports of a disturbance this evening in Little Lever, a Taser was recovered along with two suspects who were arrested in relation to its possession.

“This is a particularly nasty weapon now off the streets.”

UKIP councillor for Little Lever and Darcy Lever, Cllr Sean Hornby expressed his concerns about how such a weapon managed to fall into the hands of local residents.

He said: “I’m very concerned about things like that. How the hell have they got hold of it?

“Getting into the wrong hands, they could be quite lethal and imagine if a child managed to get hold of it. I’ve asked GMP to keep me abreast of the situation.”

Labour councillor for the area, Cllr David Evans added: “I thought it was absolutely crazy.

“Unless you worked in law enforcement, why would you ever need something like that?”

Third Avenue, where the weapon was recovered was also recently revealed to be the street with the highest crime rate outside the town centre.

A total of 139 crimes were recorded on or near to Third Avenue over the period of a year from September 2017, the seventh highest in Bolton.

It included gangs of youths throwing fireworks at homes, and a teenage boy being threatened with a knife.

Specific complaints have also been made about residents living in the flats on the street.

Cllr Hornby added that the level of criminal activity taking place on the street is an ongoing concern of his.

He said: “The street is a massive concern and I actually had a meeting with Bolton At Home the other day to talk about activity on that estate.

“It’s a badly designed estate which makes it easy for criminality to take place.”

The weapon recovered by police is actually a stun gun which needs to be used from much closer range than Tasers — which fire out two small barbed darts intended to puncture the skin.

Stun guns are classed as a prohibited weapon in the United Kingdom and possession can carry a prison sentence of up to ten years.

Advice about the weapons on the police website reads: “Stun guns are prohibited weapons and it is an offence to possess them. 

“A stun gun is a weapon that discharges a large voltage of electricity into its target, rendering them incapable of movement for a short time. 

“In the wrong hands they are very dangerous. 

“Recently there have been cases where people have bought them abroad and imported/mailed them into this country. This is still illegal and the penalties will apply.

“If you are found in possession of a stun gun, you could face up to ten years imprisonment.

“In order to possess, import or sell such weapons you must have authority from the Secretary of State.”